Saturday, September 23, 2023

Ukraine President Zelensky Pleads Visit To The White House And Congress Fails To Achieve The Massive Aid He Needs For The War

 

Zero Hedge: Zelensky Departs Washington Mostly Empty-Handed Amid Mood Shift In West 

 By all accounts, Zelensky came away from his Washington visit with nothing new. Biden did announce a fresh $325 million aid package for Ukraine from already committed funds, but the hoped-for long range missile approval never came (however, more cluster bombs are being sent). And as we detailed Thursday, House Republican leadership once again failed to move forward on a mere procedural vote for the Pentagon funding bill, due in large part to GOP members rejecting Biden's proposed $24 billion more in Ukraine aid. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Ukraine President Zelensky issued this warning .... Ukraine War: 'If we don't get the aid, we lose the war' says Zelenskyy in Washington (SKY? News).

Ukraine needs billions right now to survive. This is a joke .... Zelenskyy culminates Washington visit with a White House pledge of $128m (Al Jazeera). The only thing positive that came out of this visit was this promise from President Biden .... Biden tells Zelenskyy U.S. will provide Ukraine with ATACMS long-range missiles (CBS News).  

Update: In regards to U.S. - Ukraine war strategy, I see this analysis from the New York Times as more proof that Washington is now distancing itself from Ukraine's counter-offensive disaster .... Zelensky's Visit Reveals Strategy Divide Between Ukraine and U.S. (DNYUZ/New York Times).

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Friday, September 22, 2023

Editor's Note

Stuck in meetings all day. Blogging will be difficult today.
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Thursday, September 21, 2023

4 Charts Reveal The Aid That Has Been Given To Ukraine

BBC News: How Norway outstrips US on Ukraine spending 

The United States has poured more than a hundred billion dollars into Ukraine's effort to repel Russia's invasion, spending far more than any other nation. 

But as President Volodymyr Zelensky comes to Washington to ask for more, there is growing Republican scepticism about funding the war effort. 

 In his Tuesday speech to the UN, Joe Biden made a passionate plea for the global community to not turn its back on Ukraine. 

"Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence," he said.

"But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they're protected?" 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Ukraine sources that I trust are telling me that over half of this aid is now being lost due to corruption. It is almost as if everyone has come to the same realization that aid from the West is not going to be forthcoming as it has been in the past, and now is the best time to grab what you can before the spigot is turned off. 

I can speak personally on how rotten this corruption is. I am part of a group that helps to send needed drugs and medicines to Ukraine. Specifically it goes to my father's home town that is south of Kyiv. We always had some losses, but our last three shipments of vital supplies just disappeared.

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Russia - Ukraine War: Military Summary And Analysis For 9.20.2023 (Videos)

 

WNU Editor: A lot of updates today.

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Tweets On The Russia - Ukraine War

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Tweets Of The Day

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U.S. President Biden Collides With Flagpole And Leaves Stage Without Shaking The Hands Of Brazilian President Lula

NYPost: Confused Biden walks into flag, then appears to anger Brazilian prez with handshake snub at UN 

President Biden looked confused again Wednesday as he walked into a giant flag at the United Nations — then appeared to anger Brazil’s president by walking off stage without shaking his hand. 

The gaffe-prone oldest US president in history walked into the 7-foot-tall Brazilian flag as he took the stage, taking a moment to get his bearings as the flag wobbled. 

 He then struggled with the headset of his translation device, soon noted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was with him for a joint speech agreeing to partner on workers’ rights.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Joe Biden collides with flagpole and leaves stage without Brazilian president in gaffe filled incident (GBNews)  

Update #2: Watch: President Biden's embarrassing moment with Brazilian president Lula da Silva (Hindustan Times)  

WNU Editor: The optics of the US President looking lost and confused are terrible.

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Poland's Prime Minister Says Poland Will Stop Providing Arms To Ukraine

 

CNN: Poland will stop providing weapons to Ukraine as dispute over grain imports deepens 

Poland said Wednesday it will stop providing weapons to Ukraine amid a growing dispute between the two countries over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

“We no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on social media. 

Poland has long been one of Ukraine’s staunchest backers since Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor, alongside multiple former Eastern bloc nations who fear they could be next if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expansionist war is successful.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: A recent poll in Poland revealed widespread opposition to continue supporting Ukraine with weapons (approximately 75% against), and Polish parliamentary elections are coming up (October 15). So politics is at play right now.  

Update: The Polish government is backtracking on the Prime Minister's remarks .... Polish President Says PM Was Misinterpreted On Ukraine Arms (AFP). 

Poland's Prime Minister Says Poland Will Stop Providing Arms To Ukraine 

Poland no longer supplying weapons to Ukraine amid grain row -- BBC  

Poland says it will stop future weapons transfers to Ukraine -- CBC  

One of Ukraine’s strongest allies says it will no longer supply Kyiv with weapons -- CNBC 

Poland says it will no longer supply Ukraine with weapons -- DW 

Poland signals halt to Ukraine weapons transfers amid trade dispute -- Financial Times

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Syrian President Assad Is In China On His First Trip Since 2004

 

DNYUZ/New York Times: Syria's Leader Visits China in Search of Friends and Funds 

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria arrived in China on Thursday as he sought financial support to rebuild his country and to improve his international standing after being ostracized over atrocities committed during Syria’s ongoing civil war. 

His visit takes place as China seeks to present itself as a powerful influence in the Middle East, and a partner to nations that are shunned by the United States and the West. He is expected to meet with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China invited him. They even sent a passenger jet to pick him up. This is another sign on the importance of the Middle East to China's long term prosperity and security. 

 Syrian President Assad Is In China On His First Trip Since 2004  

Syrian President Bashar Assad is in China on his first visit since the beginning of war in Syria -- AP  

Syria's Assad in China, seeks exit from diplomatic isolation -- Reuters 

Syria's Assad visits China for first time since civil war -- DW 

Syria's Assad to Meet Xi on First China Trip Since 2004 -- Time  

Syria’s Assad to visit China in first trip since 2004 -- Al-Monitor

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Ukraine's Ministry Of Defense Fires Its Transgender Military Spokesperson Over 'Unapproved' Statements

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo Suspended as Spokesperson for Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Ukraine's territorial defence force spokesperson Sarah Ashton-Cirillo reacts during an interview in Kyiv, on September 7, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 46-year-old trans woman from Nevada with a background in journalism and research came to Ukraine in March 2022 planning to report on refugees. But she stayed and is now the official spokesperson of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces, tasked with explaining the war to an English-speaking audience. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)

Daily Mail: Sarah Ashton-Crillo is suspended as Ukraine war spokeswoman after trans Floridian posted blood-curdling video threatening to 'hunt down' Russians 

* Transgender Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, 45, has been suspended by Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces 

* In a statement they said that her comments were 'not approved' by her chain of command 

* Ashton-Cirillo was born in Florida, lives in New York and first arrived in Ukraine in March 2022 to work as a reporter 

A transgender American woman has been suspended from her role as Ukrainian military spokesperson after posting a video threatening to 'hunt down' Russians. 

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, 45, has been removed from her post after making a video where she said that the 'Russian devils' will 'pay for their crimes.' 

The Ukrainian Army said her words were not approved by higher-ups, though it is unclear exactly which statements provoked the suspension.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is why she was fired .... Ukraine Says It Will Hunt Down "Russian Propagandists" Around The World (September 13, 2023). Why it took the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense a week to fire her is another story.  

Update: Glenn Greenwald is right (see tweet below).

Ukraine's Ministry Of Defense Fires Its Transgender Military Spokesperson Over 'Unapproved' Statements  

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo Suspended as Spokesperson for Ukraine’s Territorial Defense -- Kyiv Post 

Ukraine suspends US spokeswoman Sarah Ashton-Cirillo over unapproved statements -- AFP  

Ukraine Suspends American Spox After GOP Senator's 'Spy' Warning -- Daily Beast  

Ukraine's Transgender Military Spox Fired For 'Unapproved' Statements -- Zero Hedge

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Reports Say Ukraine Will Not Get ATACMS Long-Range Missiles 'Anytime Soon'

US Army  

Zero Hedge: Ukraine Will Not Get ATACMS Long-Range Missiles 'Anytime Soon': Fox 

Currently, with Zelensky in New York and soon to arrive Washington, the big question remains whether the Biden administration will grant him something that has long topped Ukraine's wish list: the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS. 

Fox News Pentagon correspondent Lucas Tomlinson says it's looking like the White House is set against it, for now at least. His sources told him the following:  

Ukraine will not get ATACMS, the 190-mile-range tactical ballistic missiles, urgently requested by Zelensky to destroy Russian forces in Crimea and other Russian-held territory ‘anytime soon,’ officials say. News comes one day before Zelensky visits Biden at the White House.  

Read more ...  

Update #1: Reuters: US to send more cluster munitions to Ukraine, not ATACMS -- Euromaidan  

Update #2: Reuters: Planned $325 million US military aid package for Ukraine not to include ATACMS - Kyiv Independent  

WNU Editor: It looks like Zelensky and his allies are going to be disappointed .... Will Zelenskyy’s Washington visit help deliver ATACMS for Ukraine? (Atlantic Council). But I am still predicting the U.S. will eventually ship ATACMS in the near future .... Decision To Give ATACMS To Ukraine Is About To Become Easier (The Warzone).

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Relations Between India And Canada Worsens

 

 DNYUZ/New York Times: India Suspends Visas for Canadians, Escalating Clash Over Sikh's Killing 

India has suspended visa applications by Canadian nationals, according to a third-party processor used by the Indian government, a sharp escalation in the diplomatic conflict that has followed Canada’s claim that Indian agents were behind an assassination in June on Canadian soil. 

The processing company, BLS International, issued the notice on Thursday. Contacted by The New York Times, a spokesman for India’s foreign ministry said he could not confirm that visa processing had been halted. A ministry news briefing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Canada has made some very serious charges against India. Now is the time for Ottawa to present some of its evidence. 

Relations Between India And Canada Worsens  

India suspends visa services for citizens of Canada, tells it to cut its diplomats -- CTV News 

India suspends visa services in Canada as diplomatic fight grows -- CBC News/AP  

India stops new visas for Canadians, asks Ottawa to downsize missions as spat worsens -- Reuters  

India suspends visas for Canadian nationals as diplomatic spat deepens -- CNN  

India suspends visas for Canadians as row escalates -- BBC  

India-Canada diplomatic row escalates after Trudeau's assassination claim -- Axios  

How the murder of a Sikh leader sparked an international incident between Canada and India -- The Hill

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Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Russia - Ukraine War: Military Summary And Analysis For 9.20.2023 (Videos)

 

 WNU Editor: A lot of updates today.

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Tweets On The Russia - Ukraine War

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Tweets Of The Day

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France And Germany Remain Committed To Develop And Build A New Tank

Defense News: France, Germany remain committed to new tank, defense ministers say 

PARIS — France and Germany remain committed to jointly developing a next-generation tank in the framework of the Main Ground Combat System project, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told newspaper Le Monde in a joint interview. 

A separate project by German, Spanish and Italian defense companies to develop a modern battle tank is an industry initiative, and not an alternative to the MGCS, Pistorius said. France and Germany are meeting regularly and are “determined” to continue their joint project to create one of the most modern armored systems in the world, he told Le Monde.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I guess the tank manufacturers are learning a lot from the Russia - Ukraine war .... Ukrainian soldier says new Leopard tanks are better than old Soviet ones because the ammo doesn't explode, kill the crew, and blow the turret off if it takes a hit (Business Insider).

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Israel Says It Has Developed A 5th Generation Tank

This handout photo, released September 19, 2023, shows a new IDF Barak tank. (Defense Ministry and Israel Defense Forces)  

Breaking Defense: Israel unveils new ‘5th generation’, ‘lightning’ version of Merkava tank 

The upgrades are focused not on the tank's physical structure, but on incorporating the latest tech and systems. 

JERUSALEM — Israel this week unveiled the latest iteration of its Merkava family of tanks, what the Israeli Defense Force calls the ‘Lightning’ version of the Merkava IV. 

The advanced tank has been under development and undergoing trials over the last half decade. In a joint statement from Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the IDF, it was presented as a key to the future of the IDF, incorporating the latest sensors, artificial intelligence, networking and active protection system — technological, rather than structural advancements.  

Read more .... 

Israel Says It Has Developed A 5th Generation Tank  

IDF Unveils Its New “Lightning” Tank -- Israel Defense 

Israel unveils IDF's new AI-powered 'Barak' super tank -- Jerusalem Post  

Advanced sensors, high-tech helmet: Israel’s 5th generation battle tank revealed -- Times Of Israel  

Meet Barak, Israel's New AI-Powered Military Tank Ushering in a New Era of Weaponry -- Knewz  

‘Extraordinary Leap Forward’: Israel Unveils Cutting-Edge, 5th-Gen Main Battle Tank – Merkava Mark 5 -- EurAsian Times

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Russia's European Neighbours Have Banned Passenger Cars With Russian License Plates

Motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc. Image: Ivan Noyabrev/TASS/dpa/picture alliance  

Moscow Times: Moscow’s Last European Neighbor to Ban Russian Cars 

Norway will be the last European nation that borders Russia to ban Russian-registered vehicles amid an uproar over an EU directive on import restrictions. 

Over the past week, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland have implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates. 

“Norway will introduce restrictions on importing and using Russian-registered cars in Norway,” Eivind Vad Petersson, Norway’s Foreign Ministry state secretary, said Tuesday.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The first countries to ban Russian cars were the Baltic states .... Baltic states shut borders to Russia-registered cars (DW). This was followed by Finland .... Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars from entering their territory (The Independent), and then followed by Poland .... Poland imposes EU ban on all Russian-registered passenger cars (AP). And now Norway .... Norway to join Poland, Finland, and Baltic countries in banning vehicles with Russian license plates (Meduza). 

Sighhh .... 

I am old enough to remember when the West condemned the former Soviet Union for imposing the Iron Curtain on Europe. Decades later, it is the West that is now imposing "a curtain:

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Inflation Is Hitting Ammuntion Prices And Making It Even More Costlier To Arm Ukraine

Libertarian Institute: Rising Ammunition Prices Could Interfere with Western Plans to Arm Ukraine 

A top NATO official warned that rising ammunition prices could mean that Western countries do not spend enough on the military to sufficiently arm Ukraine. Washington and its allies have pledged nearly $100 billion in weapons to Kiev since the Russian invasion last year. 

On Saturday, the chair of NATO’s military committee, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer said alliance members need to spend more on defense to account for the rising prices. “Prices for equipment and ammunition are shooting up. Right now, we are paying more and more for exactly the same,” he said. “That means that we cannot make sure that the increased defense spending actually leads to more security.”  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The New York Times reported on the increasing cost of Western ammunition last week .... Russia Overcomes Sanctions to Expand Missile Production, Officials Say (September 13, 2023). The key line .... 

 .... it costs a Western country $5,000 to $6,000 to make a 155-millimeter artillery round, whereas it costs Russia about $600 to produce a comparable 152-millimeter artillery shell.  

Since that NYT publication a number of military blogs and main stream news stories have been reporting on the high cost of armaments, including the above post from the Libertarian Institute. No one is saying "war profiting", but this is "war profiting".

One final note. As I said last week. You cannot win a war if the economies and cost of production favors your opponent.

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NYT Says Ukraine (Not Russia) Behind Mass Casualty Missile Strike On Market Two Weeks Ago

 

The New York Times: Evidence Suggests Ukrainian Missile Caused Market Tragedy 

The Sept. 6 missile strike on Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine was one of the deadliest in the country in months, killing at least 15 civilians and injuring more than 30 others. The weapon’s payload of metal fragments struck a market, piercing windows and walls and wounding some victims beyond recognition. 

Less than two hours later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russian “terrorists” for the attack, and many media outlets followed suit. Throughout its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly and systematically attacked civilians and struck schools, markets and residences as a deliberate tactic to instill fear in the populace. In Kostiantynivka in April, soldiers shelled homes and a preschool, killing six. 

But evidence collected and analyzed by The New York Times, including missile fragments, satellite imagery, witness accounts and social media posts, strongly suggests the catastrophic strike was the result of an errant Ukrainian air defense missile fired by a Buk launch system.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The New York Times is late on making this report. Bloggers following the Ukraine war came to the same conclusions a few days after the September 6 missile strike (i.e. Lord Bedo, Sprinter, and Victop55. 

 Everyone I know in Ukraine are scared of Russian missile and drone strikes. But not reported in the West is that they are also afraid of Ukraine's anti-air systems and what happens when they miss their target.

Update: To no one' surprise Ukraine is furious with this New York Times report .... Ukraine hits back at NYT report it accidentally bombed its own market (Politico). 

NYT Says Ukraine (Not Russia) Behind Mass Casualty Missile Strike On Market Two Weeks Ago  

Evidence suggests errant Ukrainian missile hit busy market - New York Times -- Reuters  

NYT Says 'Evidence Suggests' Ukrainian Missile Misfire To Blame For Market Tragedy -- RFE  

Ukrainian market tragedy may have been caused by errant missile fired by Ukraine -- The Guardian  

NYT In Rare About-Face Now Says Ukraine (Not Russia) Behind Mass Casualty Missile Strike On Market -- Zero Hedge

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Polish President Says “Ukraine Is Like A Drowning Man, It Can Drag Us Into The Depths”

PIndia: "“Ukraine is like a drowning man, it can drag us into the depths”: Polish President Andrzej Duda  

The Polish President asserted that it has to first protect its own interest otherwise if Ukraine (drowning man) causes harm to it, they would not be able to help it. 

On Tuesday (19 September), Polish President Andrzej Duda likened Ukraine to a drowning man while defending his government’s decision to impose a grain embargo on Ukrainian agricultural products. 

During a media briefing outside the UN headquarters in New York, he targeted Ukraine for going against them at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and challenging their decision to ban grain imports from Kyiv.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Polish president on grain dispute: "Ukraine is like a drowning man, it can drag us into the depths" (Ukrainska Pravda)  

Update #2: Ukraine ‘behaving like a drowning man’ – Poland (RT)  

WNU Editor: The Polish President was responding to Ukraine President Zelensky's UN speech .... Poland fumes over Ukrainian president's UN speech (Anadolu Agency). I have also just learned that a schedule meeting between the two (Presidents Zelensky and Duda) at the UN has been cancelled.

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Azerbaijan Ends Nagorno-Karabakh Military Operation After Separatists Agree To Lay Down Their Arms

 

France 24: Azerbaijan ends Karabakh operation after separatists surrender 

Azerbaijan on Wednesday announced it had ended its military operation in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, after separatist Armenian forces agreed to lay down their arms and hold reintegration talks. 

Baku and the ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh said a ceasefire deal had been brokered by Russian peacekeepers to stop the fighting a day after Azerbaijan launched an "anti-terrorist operation." 

The separatists said they had committed to a "full dismantlement" of their forces and the withdrawal of Armenian army units from the region, at the centre of two wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: When Russia and Armenia signaled that they were not going to get involved, the Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh had no choice but to surrender. 

Azerbaijan Ends Nagorno-Karabakh Military Operation After Separatists Agree To Lay Down Their Arms  

Live: Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan confirms cease-fire -- DW  

Nagorno-Karabakh forces agree Azerbaijan demand to disarm -- BBC  

Azerbaijan and Armenian forces reach cease-fire deal for breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh -- AP  

Ethnic Armenians accept Russia ceasefire plan after Azerbaijan offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh -- CNN  

Nagorno-Karabakh: ceasefire agreed after dozens killed in military offensive -- The Guardian  

Azerbaijan halts Karabakh operation as separatists lay down arms -- AFP  

Azerbaijan and Armenian forces reach cease-fire deal for breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh, officials say -- The Hill

Nagorno-Karabakh announces ceasefire with Azerbaijan -- RT
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Are U.S. Military Barracks This Bad?

Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense  

The Center Square: U.S. troops describe living in military barracks as 'continuous misery' 

Sewage backups and inoperable fire systems are among the safety hazards that U.S. service members living in barracks face, according to a new report on how such conditions undermine quality of life and military readiness. 

A U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that the Pentagon's assessments of conditions at barracks "are unreliable" and "observed barracks that pose potentially serious health and safety risks – such as broken windows and inoperable fire systems – and that do not meet minimum [U.S. Department of Defense] standards for privacy and configuration."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: And the Pentagon wonders why they have a recruitment problem.

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Is The U.S. Prepared To Fight A Major War?

The Atlantic: Ukraine Isn’t the Reason the U.S. Is Unprepared for War 

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the United States has provided Kyiv with more than $43 billion worth of security assistance. Opponents of aid to Ukraine have argued that the United States is drawing down inventories of systems and ammunition that are already in short supply for its own forces, and which would be needed in any high-intensity conflict. 

Our country could very well lose a large-scale war for lack of weapons and ammunition—but not because of aid to Ukraine. In a major conflict, the U.S. would run out of munitions in a few weeks, and in less than a week for some crucial categories. The quantity of weapons we are providing Ukraine is marginal compared with necessary weapons that we have not stocked. As Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute has argued, “Over the past nine fiscal years, budget after budget has traded away combat power, truncated needed weapons early, and permanently closed production lines.”  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: You have to wonder where is all that defense money going?

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US intelligence Says China Is Actually Spending $700 Billion A Year On Defense

Foreign Policy: China’s Defense Budget Is Much Bigger Than It Looks  

The actual number could be more than double the current Western estimate. 

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan recently revealed that U.S. government estimates put the Chinese annual defense budget at around $700 billion. That is far higher than previous estimates and almost on par with the United States’ 2023 defense budget of just over $800 billion. 

Sullivan’s number stands in stark contrast to other estimates of Chinese defense spending. One of the most respected independent sources of defense data, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, pegs China’s military budget for 2022 at only about $290 billion. The new, much higher number also completely contradicts the widespread assertion that U.S. defense spending is so lavish that it amounts to more than that of the next 10 countries put together.  

Read more ....  

Update: China’s Military Spending Is Much Bigger Than We Thought (Bloomberg)  

WNU Editor: I even think this $700 billion is a low-ball estimate. I know China has exploded their defense spending in the past decade, and it is producing results.  

Update #2: I have also been hearing a lot of this .... "For every dollar China spends on developing new weapons, the United States has to spend 20 dollars" (Min.news).

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Tuesday, September 19, 2023

US Intelligence Says Chinese Shipbuilding Capacity Is Now 232 Times Greater Than The US

USN Warzone/The Drive: Alarming Navy Intel Slide Warns Of China’s 200 Times Greater Shipbuilding Capacity  

The Office of Naval Intelligence is sounding the alarm about the huge gap in U.S. and Chinese shipbuilding capacity and its implications.  

A U.S. Navy briefing slide is calling new attention to the worrisome disparity between Chinese and U.S. capacity to build new naval vessels and total naval force sizes. The data compiled by the Office of Naval Intelligence says that a growing gap in fleet sizes is being helped by China's shipbuilders being more than 200 times more capable of producing surface warships and submarines. This underscores longstanding concerns about the U.S. Navy's ability to challenge Chinese fleets, as well as sustain its forces afloat, in any future high-end conflict. 

In a statement to The War Zone, the U.S. Navy has confirmed the authenticity of the slide, seen in full below, which has been circulating online.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China is also surpassing the US military in other areas .... China is edging out the US military’s advantage on tech (The Hill) 

US Intelligence Says Chinese Shipbuilding Capacity Is Now 232 Times Greater Than The US 

China has the capacity to build PLA combat ships at 200 times the rate that the US can, per leaked US Navy intelligence -- Insider 

Chinese shipbuilding capacity over 200 times greater than US, Navy intelligence says -- FOX News  

232 Times Greater Than US Navy, China’s Shipbuilding Prowess Eclipses The Might Of US – New Report -- EurAsian Times

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China’s Foreign Minister Holds Talks With Russia’s Foreign Minister In Moscow. Putin To Visit China Next Month

 

Al Jazeera: China’s foreign minister holds talks with Russia’s Lavrov in Moscow  

Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov say they share a commitment to a ‘multipolar world’ in their discussion in Moscow. 

China’s foreign minister has held talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow as the two countries inch closer amid fraying ties with the West over the Ukraine war and the militarisation of the Pacific. 

Wang Yi opened his talks with Sergey Lavrov by hailing “strategic cooperation” between the two countries and their shared commitment to a “multipolar world” and a “more just world order”.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Putin will be traveling to Beijing next month .... Putin to visit China next month – Russian security chief (RT). More here .... Putin and Xi to meet in Beijing in October, Russia says (CNA). 

China’s Foreign Minister Holds Talks With Russia’s Foreign Minister In Moscow  

Russia and China hail their cooperation ahead of Putin’s expected Beijing visit -- CNN  

Top Chinese, Russian diplomats find common ground against US ‘hegemony’ -- SCMP 

China, Russia Vow Deeper Coordination Ahead of Putin Visit -- Bloomberg  

China vows deeper trade, investment with Russia despite Western rebuke -- Reuters  

Kremlin says Russia and China must edge closer to counter Western efforts to contain them -- AP

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U.S. Marines Corps Orders 2-Day Stand-Down For All Jets

An F-35B jump jet practices vertical landing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. (US Marine Corps)  

Breaking Defense: Marines order 2-day aviation stand down after F-35 goes missing, third mishap in 6 weeks  

During the stand down, units will discuss "fundamentals of safe flight operations, ground safety, maintenance and flight procedures, and maintaining combat readiness," Marines say.  

Acting Marines Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith today issued a two-day stand down for all Marine aviation units, following a six-week stretch that saw two fatal accidents followed by a 24-hour jet-hunt for a missing stealth fighter. 

In a press release, the Marine Corps said that with “three Class-A aviation mishaps over the last six weeks,” Smith “directed all Marine Corps aviation units to conduct a two-day pause in operations this week to discuss aviation safety matters and best practices. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: As Marines continue to search for F-35 after 'mishap,' officials order 2-day stand-down for all jets (ABC News)  

Update #2: With F-35 still missing, Marine Corps holds aviation standdown (Marine Times) 

WNU Editor: Some are wondering if this was a cyberattack .... New Footage Reveals Wreckage Of F-35 Jet Amidst Speculation Of Potential 'Cyberattack' (Zero Hedge).

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg And Top U.S. General Mark Milley Say 'We Must Prepare Ourselves For A Long War In Ukraine'

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg And Top U.S. General Mark Milley. Department of Defense  

Zero Hedge: Milley & Stoltenberg Agree: 'We Must Prepare Ourselves For A Long War In Ukraine' 

Two top Western officials have just said that NATO is preparing to settle in for a "long war" in Ukraine, as the prospect for peace negotiations retreats further and further on the horizon. 

 First, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview published Sunday by Germany's Funke Media Group said the alliance is committed to seeing military support to Kiev through, and that this is the only way to achieve peace. "Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine," he said, and added: "We must recognize that if Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist. If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, we will have peace."  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Here are the remarks from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg .... NATO chief warns Ukraine allies to prepare for ‘long war’ (Politico.eu). More here .... Ukraine's allies must be prepared for a 'long war', Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg warns (Daily Mail). 

Here are the remarks from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley .... Top US general: Removing Russia from Ukraine a ‘very high bar’ (The Hill). More here .... General Mark Milley Says Ukraine Faces ‘Very High Bar’ for Kyiv’s Ultimate Goal (Kyiv Post). 

My sources in Russia are telling me the same thing. Unless Russia changes its strategy of maintaining a defensive posture while conducting a war of attrition, this war is going to go into 2025 and beyond.

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President Biden Delivers His Annual Address To The United Nations General Assembly

 

CBS News: Biden urges United Nations to "preserve peace, prevent conflict" 

President Biden emphasized unity and global cooperation Tuesday as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

Mr. Biden reiterated that Ukraine's interests are the United Nations' interests, and said the global body must "continue to preserve peace, prevent conflict and alleviate human suffering." 

"The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people, because we know our future is bound to yours," the president said at UNGA. "Let me repeat that again: We know our future is bound to yours. And no nation can meet the challenges of today alone."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Nothing new in his speech. 

President Biden Delivers His Annual Address To The United Nations General Assembly  

Biden exhorts world leaders at the UN to stand up to Russia, warns not to let Ukraine ‘be carved up’ -- AP  

Biden offers support for Ukraine, stresses global unity in United Nations speech -- ABC News 

Biden at the UN urges the world to stand firm in support of Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion -- CNN 

Biden calls for 'new approaches' to global challenges in UN speech: 'Our future is bound to yours' -- FOX News

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United Nations Secretary General António Guterres Says He Has ‘No Power At All’ Ahead Of Annual Meeting

The Hill: UN chief says he has ‘no power at all’ ahead of annual meeting  

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said he has “no power at all,” ahead of the U.N.’s General Assembly yearly meeting. 

When asked in an interview with CNN about the executive power he holds in the meeting, Guterres said, “No power at all.” 

“The secretary of the United Nations has no power and there’s no money,” Guterres continued. “What we have is a voice and that voice can be loud and I have the obligation to make it be loud.”  

Read more ....  

Update: UN secretary-general warns of ‘Great Fracture’ as world leaders begin debate (CNN)  

WNU Editor: The only major world leader on the Security Council showing up is President Biden .... This is not a 'vanity fair': UN chief on absence of all but one P5 leaders (Business Standard/Press Trust India). More in the video below 

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WSJ Says China Ousted Its Foreign Minister Over An Affair In The US

Former Chinese Top Diplomat Qin Gang (CGTN)  

Daily Mail: Foreign affairs! Chinese envoy to Washington 'was removed from his post for fathering a child while having a fling in the US' 

* Qin Gang was China's top diplomat until July, when he was abruptly fired 

* He has not been seen in public for over a month 

* CCP investigators reportedly told officials he fathered a baby in the US during an extramarital affair 

China's former top envoy to Washington was abruptly ousted from his post as minister for foreign affairs after an internal Communist Party investigation found he had fathered a child during an extramarital affair in the US. 

Qin Gang, 57, disappeared from public view in July and was stripped of his title as foreign minister without explanation. But senior party officials were told the former envoy to the United States was removed from his prestigious post as minister of foreign affairs for 'lifestyle reasons', a euphemism for sexual misconduct, after CCP investigators found he had fathered a child with his mistress in the US.  

Read more ....  

Update: China Ousted Foreign Minister Over Affair in US, WSJ Says (Bloomberg News)  

WNU Editor: Top officials having affairs is nothing new. There is more to this story than what is being told.

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Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation In Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia Is Accusing Azerbaijan Of Ethnic Cleansing

 

Politico: Azerbaijan launches attack in Nagorno-Karabakh, announces ‘evacuation’ of Armenian population 

The escalation follows weeks of bloody clashes and comes three years after a full-scale war with Armenia over the Caucasus region. 

Azerbaijan has announced a major new military offensive in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, declaring an “evacuation” of ethnic Armenians in “the dangerous area” and opening up a crisis that risks spiralling into all-out war. 

The escalation comes after months of fruitless negotiations and amid growing speculation that Turkey-backed Azerbaijan has been gearing up to use force to bring a decades-long frozen conflict to an end. A war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 killed thousands on each side. Over the past months, Azerbaijan has been tightening a supply blockade of food and medicines into the ethnic Armenian enclave that lies entirely within its territory.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: It looks like the goal Of Azerbaijan in this major military operation is to expel the Armenian population in this region. 

The Duran predicted this disaster yesterday (see video below). 

 

Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation In Nagorno-Karabakh 

Azerbaijan launches operation against Nagorno-Karabakh -- BBC  

Azerbaijan launches operation against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh -- CNN 

Azerbaijan launches ‘anti-terrorist’ campaign in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region -- The Guardian  

Azerbaijan Says Military Operation Underway in Nagorno-Karabakh -- DNYUZ/New York Times  

Azerbaijan launches military action in Karabakh to disarm Armenians -- Reuters  

Blasts in Karabakh as Azerbaijan launches 'anti-terrorist' military operation -- ABC News Australia 

Azerbaijan launches new military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh -- Al Jazeera  

Azerbaijan has ‘unleashed large-scale aggression’ – Armenia -- RT  

Fears of a Second War in Europe as Azerbaijan Launches Military Attack -- Daily Beast

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